Air rage: Is this Emirates’ Worst ever Passenger?

An air rage passenger, who was dubbed the ‘worst passenger he had ever encountered’ by Emirates Airline staff, has been jailed for 11 months by a British court after he abused the airline’s staff during a drunken rampage.Jasbir Singh Bharaj was found guilty of being drunk on an aircraft, criminal damage, racially aggravated behaviour and common assault by Birmingham Crown Court this week, according to the daily mail.

The court heard how the Leicester native mixed vodka and wine on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Birmingham on September 16 last year. He proceeded to threat to punch an air hostess in the face, damaged an entertainment console, made sexually explicit gestures to a female member of staff and attacked and abused police officers when the plane landed in the UK.

Judge Burbridge QC, giving his sentence, told the 46-year-old: “You demanded more alcohol and swore repeatedly even though there were four young children behind you who had to listen to your tirade. You told a female member of cabin crew that if she were on the ground you would punch her in the face. In a particularly grotesque piece of behaviour you dipped your fingers in your glass of wine and rubbed them on your private parts. The air hostess felt abused and disgusted after seeing you touch yourself in such a sexually explicit way.

“People need to know that if you get drunk on an aeroplane, upset other passengers and cause cabin crew to have a difficult job then custodial sentences apply. You have many previous convictions and it seems you will not learn your lesson,” the judge added.

Satvir Aujla, Bharaj’s defence lawyer, claimed his client was recovering from a hip operation and was upset after seeing his estranged wife in Thailand.

“He is ashamed and remorseful for his actions,” he added.

An unnamed Emirates staff member described Bharaj as the “worst passenger he had ever encountered.”

Credit: Arabian Business